unusual in Montreal/unique to Montreal

I'd like to surprise my hosts this weekend, in Montreal, by taking them someplace they don't know about. Can anyone recommend anything exotic/unique/weird/off the beaten path (not necessarily uspcale) that would be high on the "Wow! Right in our Own City!" factor?

Also, what is there in Montreal that's indigenous? I'm from NY so tell me what I should eat there, that I can't get at home.

Well, if you're interested in sampling the indigenous, you should try eating poutine at least once - it's Quebec's national dish after all. Greasy fries topped with cheddar cheese curds and canned chicken (??) gravy. Guaranteed to stay with you for a couple of days.

And, on the same theme, why not take your visitors to La Binerie Mont-Royal (on Mount Royal just W of St-Denis)? Try all the traditional Quebecois goodies - tourtiere, ragout de boulettes, feves au lard au sirop d'erable, graisse de roti, pouding chomeur. (Look 'em all up if you're a real chowhound!) I can't imagine we have much otherwise that you can't get, and better, in NYC - apart from smoked meat and bagel, which we all know about.

oh, i wish i had your email in hand 4 days ago, but i'm back now, and it's too late. sure i had bagels and smoked meat. can't report eating anything terribly interesting or good.

i suppose if i had bought a book and mined it fiercly, i could have come up with a few things, but having sampled only what Montreal saw fit to throw my way, by chance, i can report only mediocre dining.

my own fault: for some reason i had thought that Montreal's gallic roots would provide a higher average threshold of cuisine quality.